1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an electronic device comprising a resin substrate and an electronic component, and a method for manufacturing a flexible substrate comprising a resin substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile information terminals have recently come into widespread use. There have been strong demands that electronic devices such as displays mounted on such portables as information terminals be thinned and be reduced in weight. In recent years, impact resistance and flexibility are additionally required.
Such needs have stimulated the development of flexible electronic devices in which functional elements of the electronic devices are disposed on flexible resin substrates in place of conventional glass substrates.
However, the flexure of a resin substrate exhibited during the formation of functional elements makes it difficult to ensure the flatness of the resin substrate. Due to this fact, difficulties are encountered in diverting the conventional manufacturing processes designed for glass substrates to this type of substrates.
To make a diversion of the conventional manufacturing processes designed for glass substrates, methods are proposed in which functional elements are formed on a resin substrate while using a hard support substrate such as a glass substrate.
For example, International Publication No. WO 2008/050300 discloses a method in which a resin substrate is formed on one surface of a support substrate, functional elements are formed on the resin substrate, and laser light is applied through the other surface of the support substrate in the final stage to separate the resin substrate carrying the functional elements from the support substrate.
Further, International Publication No. WO 2009/037797 discloses a method in which hydrogenated amorphous silicon as a release layer is formed on one surface of a support substrate, a resin substrate is formed on the release layer, functional elements are formed on the resin substrate, and laser light is applied through the other surface of the support substrate to separate the resin substrate carrying the functional elements from the support substrate. This method separates the resin substrate from the support substrate utilizing the pressure of hydrogen gas generated from the release layer (i.e. amorphous silicon) by the application of laser light.